Two female Louisiana inmates were charged with theft of public money this week. Sherri Lee Davis and Amber Lynn Williams are serving sentences as the Avoyelles Women's Correctional Facility in Cottonport. Both women posed Hurricane Katrina victims, and filed for disaster assistance checks from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). A federal grand jury charged both women in indictments that were handed down yesterday.

According to the indictment, both women received checks in the mail from FEMA after filing claims that their residences were damaged by the hurricane. Davis was mailed two checks, totaling $4,358. Williams received a $2,000 check for her claims.

Both checks were intercepted by prison officials, who then alerted authorities.